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Editorial Committee: Evan Alderson, Susan Wright, Sharon Yandle
Production Editor: Robyn Chan
Proofreader: Kathryn Woodward
Contributors this Issue: Wes Knapp (Regatta), Jesse Read (Creek Village), Kathleen MacKinnon (Regatta), Krystal Santor (False Creek Community Association), Robyn Chan (Strathearn Court), Carla Pitton (Market Hill)
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Tom Cone Memorial Bench
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE – IS HOME
Wes Knapp, Regatta
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Last week a large gathering in Charleson Park witnessed the unveiling of the new Memorial Bench by sculptor Alan Storey and shared in the memory of its subject, Tom Cone.
Tom was a much-loved promoter of experimental music and the avant garde; a playwright, poet and librettist who passed away some 10 years ago. In his honour, Vancouver artist Alan Storey designed and installed the fascinating bench that now occupies a prominent place on a gentle slope in Charleson Park.
The bench is designed in separate sections – but the middle section is missing. Seemingly below ground, it emerges several metres away on the same trajectory. One wonders: does it actually continue underground? It’s all so typical of Tom Cone’s approach to the arts, stretching out familiar ideas into new territories.
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Sculptor Alan Storey checks his speaking notes at the Tom Cone memorial event
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Part of the gathering at Charleson Park
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The words, “Somewhere along the line...” are engraved at the front of the bench, the surface of which represents a keyboard. It is the first line of a poem that began life as an intended lyric. Tom Cone didn’t live long enough to hear the resultant song by Vancouver composer Jocelyn Morlock that was heard at the sculpture unveiling. (The full poem is set out in Between The Bridges, Bulletin 35)
The installation of the sculpture only took place after a long and arduous process of forgotten files and bureaucratic fumblings that delayed its realization for many years. Recognizing the welcome it received in its present location, Alan Storey and other event speakers thanked the False Creek South community for supporting and facilitating its placement in Charleson Park.
Through no fault of its creator, the delays in finally installing this public artwork led to significant increases in its cost. Cone’s family and his supporters hope to raise additional money to include a commission for Storey for the memorial. A special campaign page has been set up by Music On Main. All donations above $25 will be issued a tax receipt. (To directly donate, please follow the link here.)
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Community Town Halls
Save-the-date for RePlan Community Town Halls on Zoom. We hope to see you at any of these 60-minute drop-in gatherings:
- Wednesday, April 27 at 7pm.
- Sunday, May 1 at 2pm.
- Monday, May 2 at 7pm.
Register!
We’ll provide a quick analysis on October’s Council Motion, which called for the City’s Real Estate Proposal for the neighbourhood to be accepted as information only; what we're expecting to happen before the summer, and we’ll connect the dots between the community and the proposed Campus of Care.
Because these sessions are for connecting with and hearing from you, there will be loads of time dedicated to your questions. If you prefer to ask questions in advance, you can submit them anonymously.
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Hiring Community Planning Assistant
RePlan is seeking to fill the part-time position of Community Planning Assistant presently held by Robyn Chan who, after having done an outstanding job for the past three years, is now moving on.
Details about this position, including the full job description, required qualifications, and information to be provided are available here.
Deadline for applications is 5 pm, Friday, April 22. Starting date is projected for the beginning of May.
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AN EXTRAORDINARY MILLBANK SEASON
Jesse Read, Creek Village
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As the Covid crisis arrived two years ago, we were restricted significantly in movement for those first weeks. I realized I had a wonderful chance to document the magnificent onrush of spring blooms, arriving with such promise: the unique opportunity to enjoy and experience in depth this particular collection of flowers in their time. It was a continual technicolor panorama, changing by day, slowly unfolding as a reminder.
They came, a continual arrival of blossoms; sometimes in great groups, sometimes singly, as with the later blooming lily. I was delighted to wander out every other day or so to find the new arrivals. The rains appeared, giving an opportunity to appreciate the colours through the drops. I was happy to include some examples from neighbours, the perennials cared for by Jeremy, our faithful expert gardener, and a few examples of dogwood, roses, ferns and ornamental fruit. Soon I had far more images than ever expected, but now was motivated to see the season out. The peak passed, it all relaxed, the pace unfolding, but the late summer had many treasures, the slow descent into age and dissolution of the blossoms telling yet another story as they began their tinted homeward course. It was all a compelling and unforgettable experience.
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I wanted to somehow thank our neighbour, Peter Wilson, who has made such an incredible contribution to our community. I have watched his gentle, consistent and quiet work amongst the trees, the residences, walkways and in the more visible areas bordering the seawall. One only has to observe from week to week how carefully planned, thought-out and carried-out his designs have been.
To show my gratitude to Pete, I created a casual, rather random book of images for him and shared it with my immediate neighbours. As I thought further about the book, I decided that given the current crisis in Ukraine, perhaps I could encourage some support. Therefore, I have opened it up for purchase, which was not originally the intent. I will receive $10 from each sale and will pass on the entire amount to The World Food Program to provide food assistance and emergency response to women and children fleeing the Ukraine. The book can be previewed and purchased here.
And to see all the flowers: https://photos.app.goo.gl/uXRYnv8b6vyP8tx6A
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FALSE CREEK KIDS MAKE THE NEWS
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NEW LIGHTS SHINE ON A RENEWED BRIDGE
There’s a coloured light show on the Cambie Bridge.
New fixtures shine a light on the almost-completed upgrades to the Cambie Bridge. Along with seismic upgrades on the bridge deck, there are new pedestrian lights on the refurbished and repainted staircase from the seawall on up.
Cycling through all their colours when they first switch on, each light, according to Charlie Richmond (Henley Court), enables custom light shows through an antenna and receiver.
The staircase rehab at $120,000 is a bargain compared to the total upgrade cost: $1.8 million.
Still to come: structural upgrades in an area not accessible to the public, under the south end of the bridge.
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PLACE MATTERING MATTERS SALON APRIL 13
The bad news is that in the last issue the gremlins inserted an incorrect date for the next PMM salon.
The good news is that there’s still time to sign up for this April 13 event.
Details here:
Place Mattering Matters Salon 04:
The Intimacy of the Places We Call Home
Wed April 13, 7-8 pm PDT
Zoom registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd--ppjMoGNy-IirCKaL7UPQvd1FdfeIf
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NOTHING PUZZLING ABOUT JIGSAW PUZZLE CRAZE
Kathleen MacKinnon, Regatta
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It’s not uncommon for people to turn to jigsaw puzzles during times of uncertainty. The surge in demand for jigsaw puzzles during these past two years is comparable to that of the Great Depression when you could rent a puzzle for 5 cents a night.
Jigsaw puzzles can instantly distract you from the madness and chaos in the world. Your focus is on the shape and colour of each piece and where it fits. Furthermore, according to “puzzle science”, we experience a little hit of dopamine, the happy hormone, each time we get a piece correctly placed.
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Anne Williams, a puzzle historian, Economics professor at Bates College in Maine, and author of Cutting a Fine Figure: The Art of the Jigsaw Puzzle (1996), has conducted extensive research on puzzlers and puzzling. She studied the minds of some very famous puzzlers like Queen Elizabeth II, Bill Gates, and Stephen King.
Researchers like Dr. Williams have identified different personality types among jigsaw puzzlers, ranging from ‘border obsessive’ to ‘opportunistic’. While most of us who puzzle together work cooperatively, researchers did observe some extreme behaviours, like the puzzlers who hoarded pieces for future placement or those who got annoyed if another player touched their ‘territory’.
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Here in the Creek many of us share our puzzles, an excuse for getting together for coffee, often at Convivial, and talking about the latest challenge: an all-too-white owl or pieces that frustratingly fit in more than one place. We now all know to put the edge pieces in a separate baggie, send the lender a photo of the finished puzzle, and, of course, return the puzzle with all its pieces.
Happily, puzzles can be just as much fun done alone. But if you do happen to like the social aspect of jigsaw puzzling, keep in mind that little shot of dopamine you get for each piece successfully placed. The risks may just be worth it.
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SUN RUN EN ROUTE
Calling all cars: Better stay parked on Sunday morning, April 24. Tens of thousands of people are going to outrun you.
The 38th annual Vancouver Sun Run will close off or severely restrict vehicle traffic to and from False Creek South. The first closure at the south end of the Granville Bridge is at 5 am, but closures in our neighbourhood will be in effect from 8 am to 1:30 pm.
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COMMUNITY CENTRE WANTS YOU!
Krystal Santor, False Creek Community Association
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Volunteers play an important role in running the False Creek Community Centre on Granville Island.
Jointly operated by the Vancouver Park Board and the False Creek Community Association (FCCA), the centre is run by community members with a variety of different perspectives. That could mean helping with the FCCA’s finances, influencing which programs get run and how, shaping the centre’s long term plan, helping decide which facility upgrades to prioritize, or starting a new project.
With the FCCA’s Annual General Meeting coming up soon – Tuesday, May 10th (via Zoom) – this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about your local community centre and get involved. We will elect our new board of directors and review the past year’s programs such as seniors’ classes, youth activities, and special events.
If you are interested in not only learning more but helping improve the community centre, consider becoming part of our board of directors. Another great starting place is to join one of the committees that meet monthly or every other month and focus on a specific topic.
For more information you can view our website: https://falsecreekcc.ca/false-creek-community-association/. You can also email *email is hidden, JavaScript is required* to speak with one of our current volunteers. Nominations must be submitted by Friday April 29th, so contact us soon!
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OLDER (AND BETTER) TOGETHER
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At its April 6 meeting the FCSNA passed a motion establishing an “Age-Friendly Community Working Group,” intended to engage residents throughout the neighbourhood in furthering the development of False Creek South as an age-friendly community.
Those with an interest in developing community-based approaches to enhancing the experience of ageing are encouraged to contact Evan Alderson at *email is hidden, JavaScript is required*.
Readers may wish to learn more about some of the issues and opportunities involved by joining an online presentation this coming Monday, April 11, from 1-2pm, entitled Rethink Ageing: A Bold New Path to Life at Any Age. Further information and registration here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/rethink-ageing-a-bold-new-path-to-life-at-any-age-with-dan-levitt-registration-293417598937
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At Leg-In-Boot
SUMMER PLANNING UNDERWAY
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Planning is continuing for a busy summer of activities at Leg-in-Boot Square. A working group has been established under the leadership of Convivial’s Beth Dempster. Music in the Square each Saturday will restart by June, with compatible activities planned to accompany these occasions.
The Working Group will welcome new ideas and volunteer energies. Those planning individual special events for the Plaza are encouraged to contact Beth to facilitate the reservation process available through the City. There is also a continuing need for volunteers to help fulfill the stewardship responsibilities required of community partners.
Contact Beth at *email is hidden, JavaScript is required*.
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A LOVE LETTER TO FALSE CREEK SOUTH
Robyn Chan, Strathearn Court
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Robyn and Ramona party on with RePlan after the October 28 Council meeting.
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I was on vacation (remember those?) when an email from a neighbour landed in my inbox. “Interested in a part time job?” she asked. I didn’t know it, but applying to that job would change my life.
I’ve spent the last three years as Community Planning Assistant for RePlan and the FCS Neighbourhood Association. As a relatively new resident of False Creek South when I started, at first I was just happy for the short commute and the flexible hours. The community members that I met earnestly welcomed me into the fold. I knew that I would try my hardest to help with their goals.
And yet, I’m really the one who benefitted. This job and this neighbourhood have supported me in ways that I never imagined. When I started my Master’s, when the pandemic hit, or when I came back to work shortly after my second child was born, instead of asking me about work, the amazing people in RePlan asked how they could support me. Someone recently said to me, “You people in False Creek South are weird. You’re always asking other people what their community is like!” But how can we not, when our community is so incredible and a model for how every other community should be?
We are so lucky to live where we live, and to love where we live. And I have been so lucky to have been the benefactor of so much kindness. I have learned the art of poetry when no other words will do, that persistence (and resistance) is not futile, and that caring and open hearts will change the world. I am constantly inspired by people like Richard Evans, Nancy Hannum, Sharon Yandle, Nathan Edelson, and everyone who makes up RePlan and its committees. When City Council voted in October to accept our idea of what False Creek South could become, it was a testament to their courage, perseverance, and optimism. I am so privileged to have been a small part of that moment.
I’m moving on to a new role next week, but this isn’t really a goodbye. I still live in the neighbourhood, will volunteer in the neighbourhood, am writing my Master’s thesis about the neighbourhood. But as I leave RePlan I feel compelled to say how much I love this neighbourhood and the people in it. False Creek South is a special place, and it is our continued and open love for it and our community that will endure.
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Carla Pitton (Market Hill) accompanied these photos with a note:
At the foot of the east side pathway leading up to the Laurel Street Land Bridge is a plaque adhered to a granite rock, tucked in amongst the branches of a cedar tree. It commemorates Yokohama as Vancouver's sister city and the white-blossomed Kobus Magnolia trees as a 1986-centennial gift to our city, several of which were planted in Charleson Park.
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CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES: ARTICLES AND PHOTOS
Between The Bridges welcomes readers’ contributions of story ideas, events of interest, original photographs, and completed articles relevant to the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association’s goal to “promote an economically, social and culturally diverse neighbourhood with a friendly, positive and vibrant sense of community”. For details go to:
http://www.falsecreeksouth.org/2021/01/between-the-bridges-contributor-guidelines/
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