Between The Bridges – January 31

After New Year's Day, gardeners start planning and daydreaming about spring, and we are no exception. We are starting to winter sow native plants, plan events, think about grants, and prepare for our beehive at Creekview Co-op.

We purchased an exciting Flow beehive for our rooftop pollinator garden. It’s an innovative design; you turn a handle and the honey flows out. Harvesting is an easier process and less disruptive to the bees. For more information follow the link: https://www.honeyflow.com/.

Another member of Creekview, Michelle Granove, and I are doing online training for the Flow hive, and a resident from Fountain Way – an experienced beekeeper – is joining our group. It would be great to have pollinator gardens and beehives all down False Creek South.

The False Creek Community Centre has invited us to set up a table during their Family Day Celebration on February 15 from 10:30 to 12:30. Come see us: we will have origami crafts to do and some tote bags and t-shirts to give away. 

We’ve also been invited back to Van Dusen Gardens to participate in their 2025 Pollinator Days Festival for elementary school students, running from May 28 – 30. 

The Charleson Community Garden Group started working on another initiative last year called an Indigenous Friendship Patch supporting local Indigenous artists. The plants we grow and harvest are used for dyeing and health/skincare products. Last year was the pilot year, working with two artists, and this year will add two more. An information session will take place at Kits Beach Coffee House on Tuesday, February 18 from 5:30 to 6:30. If you are interested in attending, reach out to me at *email is hidden, JavaScript is required* and I will register you.

The Butterflyway Project is an initiative of the David Suzuki Foundation and there are thousands of Rangers across Canada building pollinator gardens. Our goal is to use native plants to give pollinators the food and habitats they need to survive. We encourage people to plant native and develop healthy ecosystems. Save the pollinators and save ourselves.

Landowner’s Plan Update
On Wednesday, January 22, Vancouver City Council approved a contract for a consultant team to do a new landowner’s plan for False Creek South. The consultant, Arup, is an international firm with a lot of experience around the world. We expect them to be looking at issues including sea level rise, infrastructure, engineering, street connectivity, etc., as well as long-term scenarios for density and housing mix.

On January 23, Sandy James, a former planner at the City of Vancouver, published an article (link here) about the landowner's plan, calling for more transparency and public consultation in the process.

While the landowner’s plan is another delay in getting a full community plan, it will include important information that our community needs to know, including the potential impacts of sea level rise, soil remediation, and needed infrastructure.

RePlan spoke at the City Council meeting and also sent emails to City Council, which were well received (RePlan Council speech here; Council meeting video here, starting at about 34:25).

We have also met regularly with staff who are leading the landowner’s plan and with the Deputy City Manager in late November 2024; we have scheduled regular meetings with them throughout 2025.

RePlan is continuing to advocate for more involvement in both phases of this landowner’s plan; at the Council meeting staff noted there would be “touch points” of engagement, and we are seeking greater clarity about that. We also continue to push for long-term lease extensions for all co-ops in False Creek South.

False Creek South Community Housing Trust

Community creating and stewarding affordable housing for all, forever.
 

The False Creek South Community Housing Trust, which was incorporated in 2021 as a community-led option for developing non-market housing in our neighbourhood, has recently completed a strategic planning process, including new mission and vision statements, and an updated draft governance model. Thank you to everyone who gave their input and asked questions during our fall meetings.

As a next step, the Trust will be meeting with co-op Boards, planning committees, and other interested community members to get feedback on our proposed governance model. More to come!

Ever wondered what can be done with the overflowing bins after the holidays? What to do with textile waste? How about necessary food that only arrives in plastic packaging? 

Daniel Rotman, waste management and behaviour change consultant, will answer these questions, bust myths, and more, and guide the kickoff meeting of the new False Creek South Zero Waste Club.

The Sustainability and Resilience Committee is starting this new club and you're invited, in person or on Zoom. Register here – or let us know if you can't make the meeting but would like to join the club.

When: Monday, February 10, 7-8:30 pm
Where: Twin Rainbows Co-op, West building 5th-floor lounge, 1465 Lamey's Mill Road, and on Zoom

Yael Stav chairs the FCSNA Sustainability and Resilience Committee

On January 14 the False Creek South Co-op Working Group (of RePlan) lost a respected member with the death of Mike Talbot, a delegate from the Greater Vancouver Floating Home Co-operative at Spruce Harbour Marina.

Mike played a thoughtful, quiet role in our group as he worked with us and with his co-op as the “Futures Officer” seeking to secure the co-ops’ future in False Creek South.

A retired consultant on organizational development, Mike brought valuable experience to our work. RePlan’s Planning Assistant Sarah Brown, who worked with Mike on the CoLab project, said she “saw in him such a deep kindness, a true commitment to collective/collaborative work, a free spirit, and an admirably open mind.
 
“It has been a privilege to know him, and he is a sad loss to our community.”

Mike has two daughters, both doctors, as is his ex-wife, and they were all very close. He lived on his motor vessel Fancy Free and enjoyed cruising the many islands bordering the Salish Sea with his family and friends. 

Those who met Mike describe him as a hard worker, a loving father, kind, thoughtful, always actively listening, easy to talk to, and inherently personable. To his neighbours Len and Carolyn Rodriguez, Mike was an ideal neighbour.  

“We took care of each other’s boats when we were away.  We often had tea together aboard Fancy Free and talked about city planning, urban growth, and sometimes politics, but mostly about family.  

“Mike was a Zen Buddhist Monk and when he travelled to Utah to become a monk, he warned that he would be coming back with his hair shaved.  

“Mike used his bike to go most places, was soft-spoken, and cared deeply about those around him.  

“He will be sorely missed.”

Hold the date for:

Zero Waste Club
Monday, February 10, 7-8:30 pm
Twin Rainbows Co-op. See Zero Waste Club En Route in this issue

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Family Day Celebration 
Saturday, February 15, 10:30-12:30, False Creek Community Centre, 1318 Cartwright, Granville Island. See Time To Think, Plan, and Sow in this issue.

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Nathan's Book Club
Sunday, March 30, 2025
2:00-4:00 pm
Location TBA
We will be reading Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World by Leslie Kern; copies are available to borrow at *email is hidden, JavaScript is required*.

David McCann, Fountain Terrace, writes;

Thank you for the lovely article you beautifully wrote - I am deeply honoured to call you 'friend' and glad to be able to call you 'neighbour' once again. 

Last year the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association voted to establish a new strata  group to build connections among strata residents, both leasehold and freehold, and involve all strata neighbours in the Association’s community planning work. Much of that work takes place through the FCSNA’s RePlan Committee. 

A bit of history is needed here. Some years back RePlan initiated a co-op sub-committee that evolved into the present All-Working Group of FCS co-ops. At the same time, it formed a strata leasehold subcommittee but to facilitate lease negotiations with the City, that sub-committee eventually became its own legal entity in the form of the Strata Leaseholders Society (SLS). Since its dissolution two years ago, several strata residents have felt the need to find ways to connect with each other and the broader community. The best way to do that is through RePlan.

Census data shows a little more than 2000 strata units in False Creek South. Residents of these units need to be informed about and engaged in the discussions and negotiations that are taking place between RePlan and the City of Vancouver. Communication systems are needed for strata residents both within their own and among other enclaves to channel RePlan information and be a voice for issues specific to stratas. 

Here is an example of something that concerns us all: The City recently hired a team of consultants from Arup Canada Inc. to create a new landowner’s plan for False Creek South including future redevelopment plans. It focuses on new buildings and density options, required infrastructure and amenities, soil remediation, and sea level rise. In 2021 the City put forward a previous plan that City Council rejected after the False Creek South community objected to it. RePlan has been actively working with City staff to ensure that this time the community is engaged and informed throughout the process. 

If you are a strata resident and want to know more about RePlan, we invite you to add your name to the strata mailing list. (This will also keep you updated about RePlan's engagement with the City of Vancouver). You are welcome to join us; we generally meet once a month. To express your interest and add your name to the mailing list, please send an email to Sarah Brown at *email is hidden, JavaScript is required*.

False Creek Elementary is thrilled to uphold a beloved tradition: sending our Grade 6 and 7 students to Camp Summit in Squamish! For over 15 years, this unforgettable two-day trip has been a cornerstone of our students’ journey, offering opportunities to connect, grow, and create lifelong memories in the great outdoors. Camp Summit offers exciting activities like rock climbing, archery, high ropes, and campfire nights that foster teamwork, confidence, and leadership.

To make this trip accessible for all families, the school is running a bottle drive through the Return-It Depot Express Program. Participating is simple: Drop off refundable beverage containers at any Return-It Express location using our school’s reference number: 6045187149. All funds raised will go directly toward supporting this year’s trip.

This is how to donate your bottles:

1. Collect Refundables: Gather items like aluminum cans, plastic/glass bottles, drink boxes, and cartons (no sorting required!).
2. Bag Them: Place them in a clear plastic bag.
3. Visit a Return-It Express Location: Find your nearest depot at Return-It.ca/locations.
4. Enter the Reference Number: Use 6045187149 at the kiosk to print bag labels. Attach the labels, drop off your bags, and you’re done!

Spread the Word: Invite friends and neighbours to join—every bottle helps!

With the colder weather months upon us (OK not like the East Coast), I decided to apply for the Free Energy Savings Kit from BC Hydro. I was very impressed with the contents and have already started using most of the items which in theory should also mean a lower heating bill!

So what's in the kit?

You can apply online here or order over the phone at 1 800 224 9376. You'll receive the energy-saving kit within three to six weeks with no fees or shipping costs.

As well, co-ops or non-profits whose committees or boards have ancient computer hardware and are in dire need of some updated laptops or computers may want to look out for free recycled technology. Our board was in this situation, so I put in a request to the Electronic Recycling Association of Canada. It took several months but eventually, we picked up a free fully recycled computer! Anyone interested in this program should go to: https://www.era.ca/how-it-works/.

What does a sustainable, community-engaged future look like in False Creek South? How can the community learn from examples and best practices from other parts of the world? And, what types of ideas will be most useful to the community as we imagine our own future? 

These were the questions tackled by a group of SFU Sustainable Community Planning and Regional Development Masters students as they partnered with RePlan to explore what a sustainable future might look like in False Creek South. 

Led by their professor, Dr. Meg Holden, and supported by RePlan and False Creek South community members, students broke into four groups, taking a deep dive into four topics, including:

To inform their research, students first went on a walking tour of False Creek South (led by me) that explored the importance of the income and housing mix, identified projects that community members are already leading, and looked for opportunities to fill in some gaps and provide more information. 

A few weeks later, each group pitched their preliminary project ideas to some residents and met up with others who provided more insights. Finally, over pizza, groups presented their final projects, each of which thoughtfully dealt with the feedback they had received, incorporating wisdom from the Host Nations on whose land we live, and offered practical suggestions for the future. No simple task!

Engaging with a community takes time and can be challenging. Incorporating feedback and reflecting that back to residents is an extra step, but an important one in building trust between planners and communities, while also creating space for residents to see themselves in their community’s future. An important lesson for all planners, and one that these students seem to have already mastered.

Find the final reports here:

On December 27th, a security camera captured the guy below calmly looking at electronic gear on a lovely sailboat. He is not the owner of the boat. He was not invited in. The camera recorded him forcibly breaking into the vessel, breaking stuff to get at the pricey equipment. (You can see an edited video version of the break-in here.)

The burglar was very calm, even business-like. Not a shred of hyper-vigilance or anxiety about getting caught. This was a job. He was a pro. He went about with a cool detachment.  (Notice the time stamp in the upper left-hand corner: 5:36 am, just a few minutes after the night watchman left his post at the marina; obviously no coincidence).

Those who know the floating community well do not recognize this guy, so it is not the live-aboards in the Creek. It’s possible the thief was transported in a dinghy, but the security camera didn’t record how he got there. There’s good evidence he did not come in by land. 

False Creek Yacht Club has had three burglaries in the last six months, including one stolen boat. (It was ultimately discovered abandoned along the banks of the Fraser River, with all its expensive electronics missing).

There is a pattern here. The crooks are after items they can fence. Professional thieves, their customers will be other boat owners looking to buy gear on Craigslist or Kijiji, at the flea markets, or right on the docks, with no questions asked.

What can the community do to discourage this kind of parasitical behaviour? What should boat owners do to ensure they are not buying stolen property? Can we assist the VPD Marine Unit, without wrongly casting blame on the long-term liveaboards? Many of us are also victims of thievery.

One way to solve many of the problems this precious sliver of the Salish Sea faces - and a goal of False Creek Friends -  is to convince governments to establish a False Creek Urban Marine Park. Imagine park rangers welcoming visiting boaters when they arrive - explaining their responsibilities, asking them to be vigilant, and reporting behaviours that look dodgy.  Accommodating a sustainable number of live-aboards in a way that protects the marine environment - and prevents opportunistic thievery -  might be a win-win approach.

It’s possible.  Write us at *email is hidden, JavaScript is required* with your comments!

Charleson Park gardeners collected tree prunings from the park and bent them to shape on the seawall near Alder Bay. Not much to look at now, but these two dozen or so igloo shapes will support a network of green or flowering vines come spring. And what we know about winter is that when it comes, spring can’t be far behind.

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”. Signed articles reflect the views of their authors. For details go to: